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After the first positive cases were identified in Iowa and Minnesota, cases of avian influenza in dairy cattle have now reached 11 states.
These detections have further expanded the spread of the virus in the United States, with avian influenza confirmed in more than 80 flocks across the country. Three farm workers have tested positive for the virus, including one who reported respiratory symptoms.
The Iowa case, which was announced Wednesday and is still undergoing final confirmatory testing, was discovered in northwestern O'Brien County, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. O'Brien neighbors Sioux County, where egg farms recently reported one of the worst outbreaks in nearly two years, affecting 4.2 million birds.
“Given the size of Iowa’s dairy industry, given the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza within dairy herds in many other states, it is not surprising that these cases are occurring,” said Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. “Our teams across the department have been preparing for this possibility and will soon be announcing further response measures to protect our flocks and herds.”
In Minnesota, the first positive case was discovered in a dairy cow after more than 40 cows in Benton County showed signs of fever. The producer said he only noticed clinical signs in a small number of cows over the weekend, with symptoms spreading to dozens of cows within a day.
Like Iowa, Minnesota has seen an increase in avian flu at poultry operations, with eight sites testing positive for the virus in May. Tests conducted at some sites showed that the birds were infected with the same strain found in dairy cows.
“It is important for dairy farmers to follow this herd’s example and examine sick cows,” Mineosta State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs said in a statement. “The more the animal health community knows about this virus today through testing and research, the better prepared we can be to prevent infections tomorrow.”
Federal and state officials are scrambling to contain the outbreak as scientists remain alert to mutations that indicate the virus is adapting to spread more easily among humans. This week, the Department of Agriculture announced $824 million in additional emergency funding to respond to the virus. The agency has also launched a pilot program to better track outbreaks among dairy cows.
Separate avian flu strains have infected humans in other parts of the world, and Mexico on Wednesday reported its first-ever death linked to the H2N2 subtype of the virus, which is separate from the strain affecting U.S. dairy cattle. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that a poultry-related case was reported in Mexico, but the cause of exposure is unknown as the man had no history of working with livestock.
The United States has urged farms to quickly implement biosecurity measures to protect their operations, but public health officials have said the general risk of the virus to the public remains low. A study this week by the National Institutes of Health found that rats that consumed contaminated raw milk showed signs of illness, suggesting that drinking raw milk poses a risk of transmission to humans.
Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout to include reporting the first case of avian flu on a dairy farm in Minnesota.
